Haltern am See

Haltern am See is a small city with 40,000 inhabitants in the north of the Ruhr Area. The aim in our group was to investigate Haltern am See more precisely. We wrote several artists, but the rapper MC Smog was the only one, who answered our request for an interview. We asked him about the importance of HipHop culture in Haltern am See, his development, his style of music, the message in his songs, and about the Hip Hop scene and locations in Haltern am See.

In 2008, MC Smog started rapping. He wrote his first song for a party with some friends. He recorded this song, uploaded it in the Internet and sent it to friends. After some positive feedback he was on fire. However, he never listened to German rap music before as he always enjoyed the rock music genre.

The first songs were recorded in Haltern am See, in a rehearsal room of a fellow rock band. But after a short period of time he bought his own microphone, the appropriate music production software (Cubase and Magix), and equipment to record comfortably at home.

All of his concerts took place in Haltern am See so far. On his gigs the German-speaking rock band Die Primären Geschlechtsorgane accompanied him. He performend on stage with a drummer, a guitarist, and a bass guitarist, that is why this music can be characterized as rock music. His audience consists of friends and the Haltern rock scene. He played in the youth center Trigon, on the rock-stage of the annual hometown festival, in the Grüne Hölle and on some private parties. These locations are known for concerts of the Rockbüro Haltern. The Rockbüro Haltern is the organizer and contact for gigs and concerts in Haltern am See most of the times.

Regarding our question concerning his message in his songs and about the importance of rap music, he answered:

The opportunities of the German language are unlimited. Rap music is the modern, legit successor of German poetry. Everything is allowed, as long as it is made with lifeblood. The boundaries of rap music are not quite defined. Rap music without rappers is just a blank sheet.

To meet a HipHop scene in Haltern am See is actually quite difficult. MC Smog says about himself that he was the “only rapper on a certain level.” Therefore it is not easy to find more meeting spots or further concert locations besides the locations, which we have listed already. It seems that MC Smog was the only rapper in Haltern am See who performed on stage. Because is no real rap scene, he only recruited the rock scene with his music. MC Smog might be the one who can establish a Hip Hop scene in the near future. The difference between the Hip Hop scene in Haltern am See and other cities in the Ruhr Area is that is is very small to non-existing.